Car-step



UNITED STATES PATENT E-ETCE.

JAMES ACTON MILLER, OFNEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

CAR-STEP.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent N0. 558,194, dated April 14, 1896. Application filed December 16,1895. Serial No. 572,324. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it knownthat I, JAMES AcToN MILLER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the town and county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Car- Steps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a car-step, and has for its object to provide an auxiliary step for mon with trolley-cars.

My improvement contemplates the use of an intermediate step for each seat, mounted substantially midway between the foot-board and the floor of the car, said foot or running board in such case being set lower than is usual at present, whereby the total distance from the ground to the floor of the car will be divided into three nearly equal steps or spaces and the ascent thereof rendered comparatively easy.

The invention consists in the novel arrangement, construction, and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a street-car of the class described fitted with my improved step, prtions of two seats and the running-board being shown, with one intermediate step andV parts of the two next adjacent intermediate steps, a single section of the car being sufficient to show the invention, which, it will be understood, is to be duplicated for each seat throughout the car. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 shows a vertical cross-section through the car in the place of one of the intermediate steps.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the floor `or platform of the car, having the usual longitudinal sill or beam B at each side, and

the seats C mounted upon said door or platform in the usual and well-known manner, here requiring no further description. To the sill or beam `B are bolted the supports D, of iiat or bar iron, each having its lower end bent outward at a right angle to form a support for and bolt to the foot-board E and suitably curved outwardly midway of its length to offset the foot-board a short distance clear ofthe face of the sill, as shown in Fig. 3. Said supports are placed at intervals corresponding to the spaces between the seats and are of the ordinary Well-known construction, except that they are proportioned longer than usual and the foot-board is vset lower and nearer to the ground,"or the foot-board may be hinged in the ordinary way, so as to fold up, as is sometimes required in narrow streets.

In a horizontal plane about midway between the running-board and upper surface of the floor or platform are arranged the intermediate steps F, preferably in the crossplanes between and alternating with the seats and supported from the sill by the depending angle-irons Il, which are bolted to the sill and to the` steps similarly to the supports D. Said angle-irons are curved or offset inwardly or oppositely to the 'supports D to bring the steps F somewhat back or interior to the footboard, andslightly overhung by the sill or car-platform. This arrangement is particularly apparent in Fig. l, and by such construction an easy ascent is obtained and ample room is provided for readily passing along the foot-board from one end of the carto the other. l

It will be seen from Fig. 3 that the intermediate step overhangs the foot-board in about the same proportion as the intermediate step is overhung by the floor of the car, whereby eXtra space or length is obtained for the feet in mounting the steps or passing along the foot-board. The intermediate step is preferably provided with a toe-guard or vertical stop G at its rear edge, of wood or strip-steel, bolted to the vertical part of the angle-irons l-l, as shown in Figs.` l and 2.

While a continuous board might be arranged throughout-the entire length of the ear in place of the intermediate steps, a short independent step for each seat, as shown, is

IOO

preferable, as by such construction spaces K v the aisle being discarded to provide seating The advantage of this improved step will be obvious when it is considered that the usual height of the floor of open cars is about thirty-two inches from the rail or ground, which space, if divided in two equal parts only, forms steps sixteen inches in height,v

which are very dilicult of ascent; but with my intermediate step the total height of the floor from the rail may be divided in three parts, the steps being placed about ten inches apart and the foot-board about twelve inches fromthe ground at its highest position, or that which it occupies when the car is unload-ed. Thus steps of very comfortable ascent are provided without interfering with the usual construction or use of the cars, and the device is simple and cheap of construction and adaptedl towear as well as the foot-board or other integral parts of the frame of the car.

I claim as my nventionl. In carconstruction of the class described,

the combination with the floor or platform of the car and the foot-board, running at the side of the car and supported from the platform of a series of intermediate steps mounted midway between the iloor and foot-board and arranged alternately of the seats, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In car construction of the class described, the combin ation of the iioor or platform, a foot-board or running-board suspended therefrom, and a series of intermediate steps supported midway between the licor and runningboard, and arranged to correspond with the spaces between the seats, said steps being arranged to slightly overhang the runningboard, and being slightly overh-u-ng by the iioor or platform of the car, substantially as and for the purpose specified;

JAMES AGTON MILLER.

Witnesses:

SIMEON J. Fox, WILLIS M. WRIGHT. 

